Trip East: Phoenix

It's only about 4.5 hours from Palm Springs to Phoenix so we had a leisurely morning getting some much needed rest and even a little workout.

We stopped for lunch just outside of Palm Springs for a last chance IN N OUT experience. I'm really going to miss IN N OUT. It isn't somewhere we went all the time, about once every few months, but knowing that I won't be able to get it for a long time makes me want it ALL THE TIME!

Leaving IN N OUT it was my turn to drive...and maybe this is the appropriate time to request a little prayer because ever since leaving the bay area the check engine light has been on. Nothing seems to be wrong with the truck but it definitely makes me worry. Anyways, driving from lunch to phoenix you have to cross some desert mountains. We passed a sign that said turn off your air conditioner to prevent over heating for the next 10 miles. Ya'll it was about 110 degrees outside and they were asking us to turn off the A/C. We ignored it for about 10 seconds until the engine temperature kept going up. So we turned off the A/C and put down the windows. And the engine temperature kept going up and up and up. It was almost to the max (and I was going about 35mph on the interstate at this point) when we reached the peak and as I coasted down the hill the temperature went pack down. Phew!! I was sweating bullets and not just because it was 110 degrees outside. (You all will be glad to know that when we filled up for gas in Palm Springs I purchased 4 liters of water, plus we already had a liter, plus we had a cooler full of ice....so we were sort of prepared in case we had to pull off the side of the road for a little while).

I would like to add that we have had some great entertainment on the road. My co-workers and also my Uncle made us mixed CD's. I think we received 14 mixed CD's and they are all AWESOME!

The drive was beautiful. I don't know if pictures can really capture it.



A desert oasis

We finally arrived at our hotel in Phoenix around 6pm which didn't allow us to do much sight-seeing but did allow us to meet up with Graham's cousin Malcolm and his girlfriend Ashley for dinner!


More I-10 adventures coming soon!